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Volume 20, Number 2 Friday, September 20, 1991
VCUVoice ________________________ Virginia Commonwealth University _______________________ _
A Publication for Faculty and Staff on the University's Academic and Medical College of Virginia Campuses
VCU Responds to the University of the 21st Century
By Sandy Brasili
A global pers pecHve, literacy in
science and technology and better communi­cat
ions ski lls are some of the attributes
Virginia's higher education leaders would
like to see new college graduates possess by
the twent y- first century.
A special commission of Ie gislators and
educators. the Commiss ion on the Univer­sity
o f the 2 1 st Century. co mpil ed
recommendations from years of research
into ways to improve Virginia highereduca­tion.
The commiss ion's major concl usion
was that funeamental changes in Virginia's
system of higher education are necessary to
strengthen Virgin ia's leadership position
among the states. Virginia universities and
colleges were asked to formally respond to
the report.
The report recommended changes to
- ensure students acquire global per­spect
ives, scie ntific and technologica l
literacy. and beller communicalions sk ills;
- incorporate computing and telecom-munications
technology as a means of
teaching and research;
- recognize and reward quality teaching
and interdisciplinary research and teaching;
-develop procedures for regularly sched­uled
perfon"ance rev iews of all faculty
and administrators;
-assure full academic credit for students
ad mitted after earn ing a community
college degree:
Inside This Issue
A Summer of
Living
Dangerously,
page 5
Public Social
Services: A View
with Alarm,
page 8
increase the numbers of minority
faculty and students;
- further involve institutions in assisting
and promoting progress in elementary and
secondary education.
Dr. Alvin Schexnider, associate vice
president for academic affairs, headed the
steering committee to formulate VCU's re­sponse,
and approxi mately 125 faculty
members shaped the report.
Steering committee members included
Nancy Avakian, Robert Armour, Grace Har­ri
s, David Hartman, Alan Mcleod, Jerry
Norvi lle. John Oehler, Charles Ruch, Hugo
Seibel, Elske v.P. Smith, and Jon Wergin.
"The major strengths ofthe report," said
Schexnider. "are that it has caused us to think
strategically about a stronger institution; and,
while all the recommendations are equally
important. changing the infrastructure among
undergraduates-teaching, advising, and
technology-is crucial to reaching our goals
for graduating students with the skills and
knowledge necessary for the worldof2000."
"Since most of the recommendations in
the report require additional fund ing, the
people of the Commonwealth are going to
have to decide if they want the continuing
quality of education," said Provost and Vice
Two-Wheel Patrol
President for Academic A ffairs Charles Ruch.
"If so, that means we'll all have to pay more
-students and taxpayers. It also means we're
going to have to decide what we do well and
continue it and decide what we're not so good
at and cut it.
"The original report wasn't written as a
list of priorities," Ruch continued, "but as a
series of things necessary for achieving our
goals. VCU took the same approach- a
combination of strategies. Just to do one part
and not the rest won'thelpus in the long run."
VCU added two more considerations to
the recommendations:
- to cooperate in planning for growth;
- to maintain and improve graduate and
health sciences education.
In brief, the VCU response generated
these themes:
Faculty Development
Many of the changes forecast for the next
century will call for major shifts in the way
faculty do their jobs. The University will
have to provide facully development pro­grams
in a variety of formats.
HARVIE , L M
MED ICINAL CHEMISTRY
BOX SItO #
Technology
Technology is integral to all the recommen­dations
of the U21 report. VCU will have to
meet the need for major investments of
human and financial resources.
University Infrastructure
The admin istrative st ructure wi ll continually
be revised. University policies (including
promotion and tenure), as well as facu lty and
administration serv ice support, will be re­viewed.
Toachieve these goals, departmental
and disciplinary boundaries will have to be
surmounted. Faculty will be encouraged to
extend themselves beyond their departments
and al ign themselves with faculty of other
departments.
Human Resources
The allocation of human resources must be
reconsidered. The way people use their time
must be re-evaluated. In addition, the Uni­versity
must look to untapped resources for
COlllilllled 011 page 2
Officer Janet Harrison patrols
the Academic Campus on a heavy­duty
mountain bike. She is one of
three officers the VCU Police
Department has criss·crossing the
campus for additional police
protection. A fast response to calls
and more e ffective crime
intervention are two advantages of
the new patrol method.

Volume 20, Number 2 Friday, September 20, 1991
VCUVoice ________________________ Virginia Commonwealth University _______________________ _
A Publication for Faculty and Staff on the University's Academic and Medical College of Virginia Campuses
VCU Responds to the University of the 21st Century
By Sandy Brasili
A global pers pecHve, literacy in
science and technology and better communi­cat
ions ski lls are some of the attributes
Virginia's higher education leaders would
like to see new college graduates possess by
the twent y- first century.
A special commission of Ie gislators and
educators. the Commiss ion on the Univer­sity
o f the 2 1 st Century. co mpil ed
recommendations from years of research
into ways to improve Virginia highereduca­tion.
The commiss ion's major concl usion
was that funeamental changes in Virginia's
system of higher education are necessary to
strengthen Virgin ia's leadership position
among the states. Virginia universities and
colleges were asked to formally respond to
the report.
The report recommended changes to
- ensure students acquire global per­spect
ives, scie ntific and technologica l
literacy. and beller communicalions sk ills;
- incorporate computing and telecom-munications
technology as a means of
teaching and research;
- recognize and reward quality teaching
and interdisciplinary research and teaching;
-develop procedures for regularly sched­uled
perfon"ance rev iews of all faculty
and administrators;
-assure full academic credit for students
ad mitted after earn ing a community
college degree:
Inside This Issue
A Summer of
Living
Dangerously,
page 5
Public Social
Services: A View
with Alarm,
page 8
increase the numbers of minority
faculty and students;
- further involve institutions in assisting
and promoting progress in elementary and
secondary education.
Dr. Alvin Schexnider, associate vice
president for academic affairs, headed the
steering committee to formulate VCU's re­sponse,
and approxi mately 125 faculty
members shaped the report.
Steering committee members included
Nancy Avakian, Robert Armour, Grace Har­ri
s, David Hartman, Alan Mcleod, Jerry
Norvi lle. John Oehler, Charles Ruch, Hugo
Seibel, Elske v.P. Smith, and Jon Wergin.
"The major strengths ofthe report" said
Schexnider. "are that it has caused us to think
strategically about a stronger institution; and,
while all the recommendations are equally
important. changing the infrastructure among
undergraduates-teaching, advising, and
technology-is crucial to reaching our goals
for graduating students with the skills and
knowledge necessary for the worldof2000."
"Since most of the recommendations in
the report require additional fund ing, the
people of the Commonwealth are going to
have to decide if they want the continuing
quality of education" said Provost and Vice
Two-Wheel Patrol
President for Academic A ffairs Charles Ruch.
"If so, that means we'll all have to pay more
-students and taxpayers. It also means we're
going to have to decide what we do well and
continue it and decide what we're not so good
at and cut it.
"The original report wasn't written as a
list of priorities" Ruch continued, "but as a
series of things necessary for achieving our
goals. VCU took the same approach- a
combination of strategies. Just to do one part
and not the rest won'thelpus in the long run."
VCU added two more considerations to
the recommendations:
- to cooperate in planning for growth;
- to maintain and improve graduate and
health sciences education.
In brief, the VCU response generated
these themes:
Faculty Development
Many of the changes forecast for the next
century will call for major shifts in the way
faculty do their jobs. The University will
have to provide facully development pro­grams
in a variety of formats.
HARVIE , L M
MED ICINAL CHEMISTRY
BOX SItO #
Technology
Technology is integral to all the recommen­dations
of the U21 report. VCU will have to
meet the need for major investments of
human and financial resources.
University Infrastructure
The admin istrative st ructure wi ll continually
be revised. University policies (including
promotion and tenure), as well as facu lty and
administration serv ice support, will be re­viewed.
Toachieve these goals, departmental
and disciplinary boundaries will have to be
surmounted. Faculty will be encouraged to
extend themselves beyond their departments
and al ign themselves with faculty of other
departments.
Human Resources
The allocation of human resources must be
reconsidered. The way people use their time
must be re-evaluated. In addition, the Uni­versity
must look to untapped resources for
COlllilllled 011 page 2
Officer Janet Harrison patrols
the Academic Campus on a heavy­duty
mountain bike. She is one of
three officers the VCU Police
Department has criss·crossing the
campus for additional police
protection. A fast response to calls
and more e ffective crime
intervention are two advantages of
the new patrol method.